GM Comment Gelfand's Qf6 in Anand-Gelfand 2012

Again the World Chess Championship 2012 between Anand vs Gelfand had a dramatic turn of events on round 8. After only less than 24 hours celebrating his first victory in World Championship, Boris Gelfand done systematic chaos on board and direct challenging Anand's into tactical train of thought. But his six degrees of inner turbulence didn't survived well and just less than 17 moves he was falling into infinity. The scenes of memory only listed Zukertort lose games of 19 moves to Steinitz century ago. This round of octavarium number now put the tournament a chances of season to equal 4-4 score. Boris Gelfand must awake to finish his once in a livetime opportunity for a world champion title.

Gelfand allowed himself into a trick when playing ..Qf6. To console this blundered beyond images and words , commentator GMs in charge also missed this line. After the rest day , a dream and day unite can give both player black clouds and  silver lining. As we expect , now we turn from boring six draws into wild dream theater of world championship duel.

Here again a compilation of some Grandmaster that commentaries of the game via official site:

post game commentaries
- chessbase (GM Alejandro Ramirez, GM Romain Eduard)
- IM Malcolm Pein

during game commentaries
- Peter Leko and Ian Nepom... on official site, live
- chessdom (GM Balogh Csaba),
- twitter, Susan Polgar, Erwin l'Ami
- chessgames (Natalia Pogonina, GM Raymond Keene) etc.
- GM Sergey Shipov also live comment but write a post game analysis
  (Updated)


the Overture
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Ne2 O-O 7.Nec3 Nh5  

Jon Ludvig Hammer ‏@gmjlh
I think this will be very good for the match. Anand will try to strike back in crushing fashion today ;)

Jon Ludvig Hammer ‏@gmjlh
My mom taught me to always wear a helmet. "I invested so much in your head," she said.

Gawain Jones ‏@GMGawain
We've got a Kings Indian in the World #Chess Champs! Exciting stuff! So of course I'l be out all afternoon and unable to watch...Go Vishy!

 GM Alejandro Ramirez
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 This has been a popular way of trying to avoid the Grunfeld. Shirov used it successfully in the late 90s against Kramnik and it gave Anand great chances in the third game of this match

IM Malcolm Pein
..Nh5 A move to make the opponent fall off his chair. The first time I saw this sort of move was in 1985 when John Nunn brilliant outplayed Alexander Belyavsky. However that was after White had played h3?! preparing to kick a Ne5 with f2-f4. It probably inspired to me to play a random Nh5 against Glenn Flear at Brussels and then against Max Dlugy at London Peace 1986 in different variations of the King's Indian Saemisch. The general point is White is developing very slowly so Black might seek counterplay very fast. Also my idea at the time was that after g4 Nf6 White has some difficulties with his king as 0-0-0 was not practicalI. I guess that applies here because White is far away from 0-0-0 However Vishy comes up with an imaginative solution.

GM Shipov
1…Nf6 2.c4 g6 My premonitions didn’t fail me. We’re heading for the Gruenfeld Defence.

5.e4 Bg7 6.Ne2 A well-known trick that I used to like in my distant childhood. The king’s knight rather than the queen’s knight heads for c3.

Lines in the Sand
 8.Bg5 Bf6 9.Bxf6 exf6 10.Qd2 f5 11.exf5 Bxf5 12.g4 Re8+ 13.Kd1 Bxb1 14.Rxb1

GM Peter Leko: Black probably plays Qf6 here. (LIVE)

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi: Yes, it's really an obvious move 
Nepomniachtchi: "Maybe we're missing something really brilliant. I can't see the point. Maybe he's trying to play Nb5 but now...."

Ray Keene: maybe ...Re8+ Kd1 Bxb1 and ...Qf6. This is the kind of thing which makes me feel white pos horrible
i see leko got there first with that suggestion-must learn to type variations faster!!

GM Balogh Csaba:
12. g4  I think, Anand got a perfect position to play for a win. Even objectively his position seems to be better. There is a very important detail: 12...Bxb1 13.Rxb1 Re8 14.Kd1 and here Qf6 with idea to stabilize the knight on f4 is refuted by 15.gxh5! Qxf3 16.Kc2 Qxh1 and 17.Qf2! and the Black queen is trapped after the bishop moves away from f1.>

Natalia Pogonina: I think the rook was better employed at the f-file. Both b1 and h4 seemed more attractive continuations to me.

Natalia Pogonina: Now the king should run to c2 via d1, like I have pointed out before.

Natalia Pogonina: And then, when the knight retreats, Anand can start pushing the h-pawn at some point. I prefer White's position.

Susan Polgar ‏@SusanPolgar
@erwinlami I don't like Vishy's position. Do you?

Erwin l'Ami ‏@erwinlami
Not at all, I think Boris is enjoying this.
I'm expecting 10...f5 now, when 11.exf5 Re8+ is very messy. King might go to d1!? #anandgelfand

Susan Polgar ‏@SusanPolgar
10...f5 11. exf5 They won't play this because it's crazy but worth taking a look: 11...Re8+ 12. Kf2 Bxf5 13. g4 Qh4+ 14. Kg1 Re1 15. Qf2 Qe7

GM Balogh Csaba
7. Nec3,  it is a very clever choice from Anand, because this move deviates from the normal Saemisch with Ng3, so Gelfand cannot use anymore his huge experience in the opening. Here Black has no other choice than opening the center with e6. On e6, White has two different setups. He must develop with Be3, but first he can include the Bg5-h6 pair of moves.

GM Shipov
9…exf6 I’ve never seen something like this in all my life. Black’s pawns are doubled on the f-file, but his king’s knight is alive. Alive and still provoking the fire of the g2-pawn
10.Qd2 The psychology of the Indian grandmaster is as transparent as glass. At the moment he doesn’t trust himself, so he’s striving to avoid sharp movements, preferring the methodical implacability of a steam roller to the deft thrusts of a fencer. The pawn remains on g2. White is completing his development according to plan. By the way, here as well it was possible to think about the system with Nb1-a3 and 0-0-0, after which it would be possible to attack without the slightest doubt about the rightness of your cause.


About to crash
14.... Qf6

Leko: 15.Kc2 I think basically is the only move…actually White is very lucky to have Kc2… Then 15…Nf4 and White has no other choice than 16.Ne4, and he should be happy that he has this option.


After 15.gxh5 Qxf3+ 16.Kc2:


Journalist: Something quite different has happened, he has taken on h5.
Nepo: A desperado play?

Journalist: I have the feeling that there are two grandmasters sitting here with me that are both quite surprised.
Leko: Yes, because I saw this but I didn't take it seriously.
Nepo: Maybe we are missing something really brilliant? I can't see the point. Maybe he is trying something like Nb5?


After 16…Qxh1:
Nepo: Ok, now 17.Bd3 should be surely played

Susan Polgar ‏@SusanPolgar

14...Qf6 This is a blunder as his Queen will be trapped. 15. gxh5 Qxf3+ 16. Kc2 Anand is now close to winning.

Susan Polgar ‏@SusanPolgar
17. Qf2 Gelfand in serious trouble now. Unfortunately, Gelfand resigns as he may miss Nc6. Wow! Premature resignation.

Erwin l'Ami ‏@erwinlami
@SusanPolgar Though 11...Re8+ 12.Kd1!? Bxf5 13.g4 Bxb1 14.Rxb1 is not that clear. (14...Qf6 15.gxh5 Qxf3+ 16.Kc2 Qxh1 17.Qf2!) #anandgelfand

Erwin l'Ami ‏@erwinlami
If Vishy goes 13.Kd1 now I switch sides! 13...Bxb1 14.Rxb1 Qf6? 15.gxh5 Qxf3+ 16.Kc2 Qxh1 17.Qf2! is the important point. #anandgelfand

Robert Fontaine ‏@FontaineRobert
Looks like Gelfand missed Qf2 idea

Natalia Pogonina: Qf6????????

Looks like Boris has fallen for a relatively simply trap. This is lost for Black, and the line is forced!

GM Alejandro Ramirez
15.gxh5 When a world champion hangs an exchange and a pawn, you should know you are lost

GM Romain Eduard
Qf6?? A terrible blunder, though the position is already worse.

[After 14...Nf6 15.Kc2 White will have a fast attack on the kingside, while Black is very slow in finding counterplay (after ...Na6 White will either go a3, or remove the rook from b1 to leave b1 free for the white king!). ]

GM Balogh Csaba
14. Rxb1, 14...Qf6 really screams for itself, and to find the refutation is not obvious at all, but it is just losing. A critical moment for Gelfand.

14... Qf6 Amazing, Gelfand blundered with Qf6!!! Black can just resign after 15.gxh5 Qxf3 16.Kc2 Qxh1 17.Qf2!
15. gxh5 and Anand took on h5! What a shocking turn of the match could be after yesterday's disaster for Anand, now things can be equal again!

IM Malcolm Pein 14...Qf6??

Losing by force. Boris had only considered 17.Qf4 below which had been Vishy's first thought before he saw Qf2   [14...Nf6 15.Kc2 Na6 16.a3 Nc7 17.h4 Feels comfortable for White but he has to watch out for a quick b5; 14...Nf6 15.Kc2 Nbd7 16.Be2 And given that Black cannot establish a knight on e5 as f4 comes White should be somewhat better as he can play h4-h5]

GM Shipov
14…Qf6 Wha-a-a-t? Boris is continuing to play riskily with the motto “Not a step backwards!”. It’s as if he has to win at all costs and won’t get another chance. Such sharp, provocative and here hazardous play is something I really didn’t expect to see from him. Black’s queen is heading to take the h1-rook and White is almost obliged to sacrifice it, as defending the f3-pawn with the bishop would allow the h5-knight to come to f4.
[The peaceful continuations 14...Nf6 15.Kc2 Na6 16.Rd1 or 14...Ng7 15.h4 gave White perhaps not a big, but a persistent edge.]

Caught in the Web
15.gxh5 Qxf3+ 16.Kc2 Qxh1 17.Qf2 1-0


IM Malcolm Pein 17.Qf2 The queen will be trapped after Bd3
[17.Qf4 Qg1!; 17.Qf2 Nc6 Computer Is the only way to carry on 18.dxc6 Qxc6 19.Bg2 Qd7 20.Nd5 Kf8 (20...Qa4+ 21.b3 Qxa2+ 22.Rb2 Qa5 23.Nf6+ Kf8 24.Bxb7) 21.Nf6]

Leko: It's [the winning move 17.Qf2] not natural because you think about development.


Nepomniachtchi: In this match he didn't need to switch to the equalising mode, he already equalising in every game. In the first part of the match he was already trying to equalise with the white colour as well.

Nepomniachtchi: So, he's going to trap the Queen.

Leko: It's a shock. I think Boris is shocked. Everybody is shocked… It's over.

Nepomniachtchi: Most of us were surprised with some Vishy moves like Bxf6, Qd2 and then this Kd1 idea. But it was just a brilliant trap.

Leko: I completely missed this trick as well.

Ray Keene: hard to believe.

Alexandra Kosteniuk ‏@chessqueen
It happened! Gelfand's nerves gave up, Anand won the 8th game of the World Chess Championship and now the match is tied again, 1 win each!

GM Shipov
17. Qf2 Exactly. Black’s queen is hobbled. Bf1-d3 threatens to catch it. There can’t be any doubt that Anand saw this possibility back when he played g2-g4. Gelfand, meanwhile, seems obliged to play 17…Nc6 now, saving the queen at the cost of a piece. Of course that won’t be a pleasant position, but at least he’ll manage to play on a little longer… BLACK RESIGNED! That was a catastrophe for Gelfand. I can only imagine the shock his supporters are in now…

Having had a closer look I realised that the resignation wasn’t premature. The variation 17.Qf2 Nc6 18.dxc6 Qxc6 19.Bg2
19…Qc8 (19…Qd7 20.Nd5!) 20.Rf1 Qf5+ 21.Qxf5 gxf5 22.Rxf5 is absolutely hopeless for Black.

after the game

Ian Rogers: When you played Re8+ did you have the feeling that somehow you ought to be better in that position? Did that maybe lead you to find this 14.Qf6 idea?

Boris Gelfand: No I think that I had to calculate a lot of lines because white has other dangerous options in the game. Like even 13.Be2 is not so simple. And 13.Kd1 Bxb1 14.Rxb1 Qf6 if this [the winning idea] doesn't work 15.Kc2 Nf4 16.Ne4 I intended to sacrifice an exchange on e4 which is not so clear also but I had to calculate variations and unfortunately I miscalculated.

Leko: "The good thing for Boris if he listens to my commentary is that I was also missing it." Leko on Anand's winning idea.

Anand: I'd seen some time before that it was a blunder. I even saw this when I played 11.exf5, around about then, I was just calculating these lines and I found this trick. I had the same thought as Boris that I had to go 17.Qf4 and then I refined it to 17.Qf2.

Mig Greengard ‏@chessninja
Memo to Gelfand: I'm pretty sure "killer instinct" isn't supposed to include suicide.


Stuart Conquest ‏@stuthefox
A shocking game in the World Chess Championship today. Even an average club player would be embarrassed to lose that one.
In some ways a quick loss is almost a relief. You can write it off as an accident. A long game, which you finally lose, brings more pain.

more than 12 hours aftermath

Bareev: Anand overwhelming favorite to win

all comments and texts (C) by their respective author